In This Life
by tjjones
Summary: What would happen if one day the boys of the wolf pack were not wolves anymore? All of their abilities from being wolves disappear. The bonds of their imprints break. How will they adjust to life without being wolves? More summary inside
1. Intro

**What would happen if one day the boys of the wolf pack were not wolves anymore? All of their abilities from being a wolf disappear. The bonds of their imprints break. How will the boys adjust to life without being wolves? Will forced relationships survive? Or will the lives they once knew crumble?**

**This story takes place after Breaking Dawn. In my story everything in Breaking Dawn happened except Nessie. The excerpts below are kind of summaries of what's to come for each character and the moment they realize what has happened to them. This story doesn't necessarily center around Sam and Emily. Each prominent member of the wolf pack gets their shining moment. This is my first Twilight fan fict. I've had this idea for this story for a while but didn't know if anyone would be interested. If you want to see more please review!**

**Disclaimer: I am not writing this as my own. All characters and ideas belong to Laurie faria Stolarz**

**Sam**

"Hey Billy," I said closing the door to my truck. Billy sat next to the house in his wheelchair and waved at me as I walked towards him.

"Thanks for coming Sam," he said leading me to the back of the house, "That ramp proved to be too heavy for old Quil Sr. to lift. Didn't realize how solid the thing is built. I figured I'd get one of you boys to do it."

Earlier this morning Billy called and asked me if I could come over and install the new ramp he got for the back porch. The old one has basically disintegrated from all of the rain damage that's been done. Jacob uninstalled it last night and had left already for school by the time Billy got up and around. Jacob started to build this new ramp about a month ago. I don't usually admire ramps for wheelchairs but this one is pretty nice. Jacob made it out of solid oak so it would last longer than the old one which was made out of scrap wood.

"Wow this is a bad ass ramp old man," I said patting him on the shoulder. "Yeah well this old man has to have some way to get around."

"So you want it in the same place as the old one or do you….want….to um…" A feeling of dizziness overpowered me and I had to close my eyes as I waited for the feeling to pass.

"You alright Sam?" Billy asked as I knelt down beside his chair.

After a couple of seconds the feeling passed and I was able to answer Billy. "Yeah I just got dizzy all of a sudden. Probably because I haven't ate much today."

I stood up and told Billy again that I was fine and that I could handle moving the ramp by myself. He told me if I needed anything to come and ask and that he would be inside watching a game. I then looked over to where the spot would be to place the ramp. Hopefully Jake measured right since this ramp should slide right up to the porch. I bent down and wrapped my hands around the base and pulled up. But to my surprise, it didn't budge. This ramp must be heavier than I expected. I griped harder and pulled again but still the ramp didn't move. This is weird. Something like this shouldn't be a big deal given my strength. I looked up and saw that by Jake's garage there was a huge tire sitting in the tall grass. If I can't move that tire then something's wrong. I walked over to the tire and griped my hands around it and pulled. I was stunned to find that I could not lift it either. Something is definitely wrong. I don't have any strength. I straightened up and turned towards the house and yelled, "Billy!"

**Jared**

Having patrols with Brady sucks. He usually talks to much and since his thoughts are in my head it's impossible to block them out. Where is he anyway? He knows what time he's supposed to be here.

Sam usually lets me patrol with Paul but tonight is Rachel's best friend's cousin's….it's someone's birthday. Anyways Rachel wanted Paul to go and so there lies my issue. Paul gets to go party and I get stuck with Brady when I could be at Kim's house. Well standing here by myself in the middle of the woods at night is kind of strange so I guess I'll go ahead and phase. Hopefully the little shrimp will catch on and phase when he gets here. I unbuttoned my pants and took them off and swung them over a low branch. I really don't even bother with shoes anymore unless I'm at a public place. Just then a pain shot through my head. Damn. I got to lay off the sugar some. It's giving me headaches.

I then started to run and waited for the feeling of the wolf to encompass me. I kept running but nothing happened. When I opened my eyes I was still a naked guy running in the woods. I've been phasing for a while now. I shouldn't be having trouble phasing at this point. Well let's give this another go then. I began to run but the feeling of heat never came upon me. Please don't let this mean what I think this means. I turned around and started to run back to the edge of the woods where my pants were. Sam's going to love this. When I got back to the edge Brady was standing next to a tree.

"Dude what are doing?" he asked as I came running towards him. "What? Can't a man run around in the woods naked and enjoy nature?" He looked at me with a confused look and said, "No."

I grabbed my pants from the tree and was buttoning them when Brady said, "Aw man! It happened to you didn't it!" "Yes Sherlock!," I said smacking him across his head, "Come on. Let's go to Emily's."

**Jacob**

Damn this house reeks! You would think I would be used to the disgusting bitter smell of bloodsuckers but that is a smell my nose will never be accustomed to. I hadn't seen Bella in a while and I was beginning to really miss her. I called her up and she said that Edward and the rest of the guys were going hunting and that today would be a good day to come. I gave Leah and Seth the night off from patrols last night since yesterday was Sue's birthday. So I've been running ragged for about twelve hours now.

I opened the front door to the Cullen's house and found Bella sitting on the couch reading a magazine. "Hey Bells," I said shutting the door behind me. "Jake!," she said running towards me and wrapping her arms around my waist.

I had become used to Bella's new form. She was strong and extremely tough now. "I missed you Jake," she said squeezing me tight. "I missed you to Bells but you squeezing me so tight is making me have to pee." "Sorry she said," unwrapping her arms and laughing, "The bathroom is upstairs to the left."

I turned and began walking up the stairs to the bathroom. The bathroom was pretty impressive for a vampire's. I mean why do they even have one? I did my business which felt like relief and turned the faucet on to wash my hands. I reached for the towel hanging on the handle on the wall. The towel slipped right through my fingers and I bent down to grab it. When I stood up I slammed the back of my head into the counter. "Damn't!" I yelled. I hit my head so hard I began to feel dizzy. I rested my head in my hands and waited for the pain to suppress. After a couple of minutes, the pain somewhat subsided and I made my way out into the hallway. Down below I could see Bella sitting on the couch waiting for me and I hurried down the stairs.

Unfortunately I didn't make it fair. My foot caught the edge of the banister and I began to roll down the stairs somehow hitting every step with my hurt head. "Oh my God!" Bella yelled running towards me at the bottom of the stairs. I was seeing spots I was in so much pain. "Are you okay?" Bella kept asking me. I tried to stand up on my own but failed. I grabbed hold of the banister and steadied myself before straightening up.

"Yeah, I'm just…I'm just going to go home relax." I tried to stretch out my back but when I did powerful pains shot up through my body. "Ouch!" I yelled bending back over and placing my hand on my back. I felt like I looked like an old man. "Jake do you want me to drive you home?" Bella asked holding the door open for me. "No I'm good. I got to go see Sam before I go home anyways." "Are you sure?" she asked realizing that it was going to take me a while to get out of the door. "Yeah. Sorry my visit lasted less than five minutes. I'll call you later."

I finally had made it to the door and was almost across the threshold. "Be careful Jake," she said as I made it onto the porch. I felt her close the door behind me as another pain shot up my back. I can do this. La Push isn't that far away. I made it to the stairs and looked down. Yeah it was only a couple of steps. I could do it. Another pain shot up. Okay maybe not. I turned around and walked back to the door and knocked. "Jake?" she said opening the door. "Can you give me a ride?" I asked.

**Leah**

"Why do we have to be here?" I said as Jacob and I made it onto Sam and Emily's porch. "A lot of things have happened to both packs Leah," he said, " We have things to discuss." "Yeah but the whole point of me joining your pack genius was to get away from Sam."

Today has not been a good day. I woke up this morning to Seth blaring his obnoxious music . Plus when I woke up my stomach was cramping up and all we had was some lame aspirin to take for it. It's helped so far but I can feel them coming on again. I'm really not in the mood for this today. Jacob and I walked into the house to find Sam's whole pack sitting in the kitchen. "Hey Jake," some of the said as we walked into the room. No one said anything to me. Probably because they were scared. Since we're not in the same pack anymore I have no problem breaking all of their jaws in half. Jacob moved from beside me and went and sat next to Embry and Quil. I wasn't about to walk straight into the shark tank so I just stood against the door frame of the kitchen.

"Okay guys listen up," Sam said standing up. Great the master is going to talk. I was almost considering listening to what Sam had to say when I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Leah," a voice said behind me. "What?" I said as I turned around. Of course it was none other than Emily. This day just keeps on getting better. "Come into the bathroom," she said. "Why? You've finally had enough and you're going to murder me?" "No just come on," she said walking away.

I really wasn't in the mood to argue and plus I really didn't want to listen to Sam so I followed her. Once we were in the bathroom Emily turned and shut the door. "What the hell do you want?" I asked her. "Are you feeling okay?" she asked. "Yeah just dandy," I said sarcastically. "I'm just asking because…I think you got your period." "What!" I exclaimed. I quickly turned and looked at my reflection in the mirror and found a small red spot stained into my green shorts.

**So what do you guys think? Do you guys want me to write the story or scrap the idea? If you have any questions please ask and Please REVIEW!**


	2. Missing the Giant Elephant

**Many of you have written reviews saying that you wanted more of this story. My summer vacation from college has officially started so updates could be frequent. I've finally mapped out the course of this story so I'm ready to write and update. I love getting reviews for my stories so if you want an update please review! Also if you have a suggestions or preferences for the story please let me know!**

**The intro of this story basically described the moment where some of the boys of the wolf pack lost their abilities. The story now begins after the entire wolf pack has lost the ability. Plus I know in New Moon Jacob is sixteen so I'm guessing Jacob is almost around 18 by the time Breaking Dawn starts so in my story the boys are around that age and are seniors in high school. Every chapter will be written in another POV so pay attention to the name at the beginning. PLEASE READ & REVIEW!!!!**

**Disclaimer: I am not writing this as my own. All characters and ideas belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Missing the Giant Elephant**

Jacob POV

Its been a while since the last time I can remember I was cold. This cold November air feels entirely different now that I'm not a wolf, and my body temperature as dropped from 108 degrees to the normal 98.6. None of us had any type of proper clothing for this kind of weather so Emily and my dad went down to the local thrift store to pick up numerous pairs of pants and long sleeve shirts and jackets for us to wear. It's funny sitting here in the kitchen of Sam and Emily's house and actually feeling the heat from the heater rising from the floor. Usually Emily just wore multiple layers of clothing since she didn't want to make Sam and the rest of us feel uncomfortable by turning the heater on.

Now Emily is finishing dinner and both packs are sitting around the table waiting in silence for Sam to come back. Well not complete silence since Paul and Jared are playing that game where you spread your fingers out and stab a knife between them super fast. They both better hope they don't screw up since the whole healing fast thing is out the window.

This morning Sam decided to call a meeting to the elders about this strange situation. There must be some serious shit going down because he's been gone for a long time. None of us really have a clue as to what is going on. There pretty much aren't even two packs anymore. We don't patrol because we can't. I know I'm still technically the Alpha but I can't tell Leah and Seth what to do anymore. We're not a wolf pack and Alphas don't exist in the human world. The only way I even got Leah to come here was to promise her I'd buy her a new outfit since tank tops and short skirts and shorts don't cut it in freezing weather. If that hadn't worked I couldn't force her to come. The Alpha command doesn't have an effect on a human.

Just then the sliding glass door opened and Sam stepped into the house shivering from the cold.

"Damn it's cold out there," he said as he closed the door. "Good now we can eat," Embry said getting up and helping Emily get plates and cups from the cabinets.

"So what went on in the meeting?" asked Emily letting Embry sit down while she filled the plates up with food. "Well," Sam said pulling a chair out between me and Seth, "They don't have anything. They're completely in the dark just like us."

"So… we've been de-freaked," Leah said, "What's to figure out?" "I would like to know why," Sam said giving her a stern look from across the table.

Leah just leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms across her chest. Knowing Leah's personality and feelings about being a wolf, I understand why she wouldn't question all of this. She finally gets her wish. For now she can go on living a perfectly normal life. All she'll have left of the wolf is the memories gained from the experience.

Emily then placed the food on the table and everybody began eating the amazing steak and potatoes she prepared. After everyone was finished the conversation sparked up again.

"Jacob," Sam called as he helped Emily wash the dishes, "Have you been around the Cullens since all of this has happened?" "No not since that day…" I began to say until I was interrupted by a loud crash from the hallway.

"My bad!" Seth exclaimed from the hallway, "I'm alright don't worry!"

Quil started laughing which got the entire table started. "Come on boys he can't help it," Emily said in a soothing motherly tone of voice.

"It sounds like he tripped over that ugly vase at the end of the hallway," Leah said, "He's turned into a klutz just like Jacob." She turned towards me in her chair and had the smirk of the devil on her face. She may not be an angry wolf anymore but she's still a bitch.

"So what I fell down the stairs. It happens!" "Yeah okay," she said sarcastically as she got up from her chair to help Seth recover from his fall.

"Anyways," I said turning back to Sam, "I haven't seen any of the Cullens since the day I fell down the stairs. Why does it matter anyways?"

"I know we made a truce with the Cullens and everything but I want to keep this from them as long as possible. They still are vampires and we now have zero defense against them. I'm not saying stay away from Bella but I want you to stay away from Edward. I don't want him reading your mind."

"Is that an alpha command?" asked Paul acting like he was offended. "No," Sam said eyeing Paul, "I'm asking a favor."

Technically even if we were still wolves Sam couldn't give me an Alpha command if he wanted, but doing a favor for him wouldn't hurt.

"I catch your drift Sam. Don't worry. I would also prefer if they didn't know. It's not really any of their business."

"Wow!" yelled Jared, "Someone got off the leash!" "Well," I said taking a swig of root beer, "Bella isn't mine anymore. She didn't choose me. Instead she prefers the family of the dead."

"Good for you Jake," Sam said.

"So… it's over," I said breaking the silence after Sam's comment, "No more patrols, no more sneaking around, and definitely no more public thoughts." "I guess so man," said Quil getting up from his chair, "Maybe now we can be normal and enjoy our senior year." "Yeah that would be nice," I said back.

"Well I think this blows!" Paul yelled, "What are you guys thinking? I'm mean what the hell do you think we're going to do for the rest of our lives? What are we going to say to people? Well sir I haven't really ever had a real job but I did use to morph into a giant dog and protect La Push from vampires. Come on guys! This is bullshit!"

Paul did have a point. None of us know how to live a normal life. We've all had to grow up literally in matter of a second. I don't even consider myself a teenager anymore. I feel like I've done and seen things the average man hasn't even dreamed of. It's going to be hard but I'm willing to do it.

Before I started phasing, I was a good kid. I did good in school, I loved cars, and I was in love. All of that was ripped away from me the second I turned. The whole responsibility of being a wolf came at a price. A price I tried so hard to not pay. But now maybe I can capture those things again. I mean it's only the end of first semester. I can still bring up my grades and maybe even get into college next fall. Come to think of it, I've never thought about college. I don't really even know what it takes. Maybe now I can really focus on my schoolwork instead of worrying about protecting people from vicious vampires.

Plus I'll always love cars. I can't remember the last time I drove the rabbit though. I hope it still runs. I worked my ass off on that car. And lastly, maybe there is someone out there for me. A relationship would be so much easier now that I'm not a wolf. There wouldn't be any secrets except of course the secrets of my past. I think I deserve it after all that I've been through.

Quil, Embry, and Paul have moved into the living room leaving me, Sam, and Emily in the kitchen. Sam was putting the leftover food away since now none of us have the stomach to eat as much as we used to. Emily was steadily cleaning everything in sight.

All of a sudden something dawned on me. Would the imprints still remain intact? Are Sam and Emily still meant for each other even though their relationship isn't supernatural anymore? What about Jared and Kim? My sister and Paul? Quil and Claire? I wonder what the fate of their relationships is going to be? I looked up just as Emily tilted her head towards Sam putting food into the fridge and I could have sworn I saw a flash of disappointment in her eyes. Maybe there is something going on with the imprints. How could I have missed the giant elephant in the room?

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!**


	3. Break the Ice

**Thanks for the reviews and story alerts! I'm glad there are people interested in this story. Your reviews really made me want to hurry and finish the second chapter so I decided to update a little early this time. Read and Review!**

**This chapter is written in Emily's POV. I know she isn't technically a member of the wolf pack but she does have a very prominent role in Sam's life. Enjoy!!**

**Disclaimer: I am not writing this as my own. All characters and ideas belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Break the Ice**

**Emily POV**

I open my eyes to a beautiful sunny fall day. The warm rays of the sun fill up the bedroom and add heat to the chilly morning. It seems as though the day is perfect. That perfection only applies to everyone else in La Push. People can go outside and enjoy the cool crispy air with their families and friends. This day should be perfect, but it's not.

I noticed immediately after I woke up that Sam isn't next to me in the bed. I guess he never came to bed last night after the boys left. I have a feeling something has changed between us. The other day when he came home after helping Billy, he just acted different towards me. I couldn't seem to find that spark and desire in his eyes when he looked at me that day. I don't think it's any secret either. I know he knows something's up. I can feel it. We both are kind of in denial about the whole situation. I haven't even had the courage to bring up the issue. Sam has brought up everything he lost about being a wolf, but he hasn't brought up imprinting. Not one person brought it up last night at the table. But I can't keep holding back from asking him. It's something I think that I have a right to know.

I swing my legs off of the comfortable warm bed and drape my purple cotton robe over my shoulders. As I walk down the hallway, I can smell the strong sense of coffee. I'm careful not to step on the small remaining pieces of the ceramic vase that Seth crashed into last night. I have to remember to clean that up. I peer into the living room and see the extra pillow and blanket from the hall closet. He must have slept on the couch last night.

I walk a few more steps and into the kitchen and see Sam getting himself a coffee cup and pouring some of the fragrant warm liquid into it. I take a deep breath and lean against the door frame of the kitchen. I know he's aware of my presence because he turns and looks at me for a slight second and then turns back and stares out of the window above the sink.

The longer this goes on the more awkward this becomes. I pull my robe tighter and move over to the table and sit down. Almost like a signal, he does the exact same thing after he pours me a cup of coffee. After sipping from our cups for a couple of minutes, I decide to break the ice.

"It happened didn't it," I say, "It broke." He acted as though he didn't hear me or understand me, but he then looked up and had a smile on his face, "Yeah Seth really slammed into that thing. It only gave him a few scrapes and cuts he'll be…"

"That's not what I meant," I interrupted. He stared down into his cup and then said, "It doesn't matter if it broke or not." "Why not?" I questioned. Of course it mattered if the imprinting bonds broke. The imprinting is the only reason why we even have a relationship in the first place. Even if that relationship is founded upon mythological ties.

"Because I'm not just going to leave you, not after all that has happened. You've been through hell with me, I can't just leave you out to dry."

He wouldn't leave me because of guilt. "So that's it," I say, "You don't want to deal with the guilt that would come of the situation." "I already did that to somebody and it almost killed them Emily. It changed them forever. I couldn't live with myself if I did that again. Especially if I did it to you."

"Leah?" Of course it was Leah. I've been living with guilt about that also. She was like a sister to me and now every time I see her she gives me the look of wrath. I know I'm partly to blame for that.

A realization came to mind at that very second. Sam was completely head over heels for Leah before he imprinted. I knew the entire time that he still loved her even when the imprinting bond was there. The feelings he had for me were just stronger and more otherworldly then the ones he had for her. I wonder if the roles have been reversed. I didn't want to get into the whole feelings for Leah discussion. That conversation can happen at another time. But I do want to know one thing, "Sam I want you to be honest with me." "So do I."

The question I was about to ask him was a question I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the answer to. But I needed to know. I needed to know if this "relationship" meant and represented anything in the human world, or if it was just a forced relationship between a wolf and a human. "Sam do you love me?"

I waited for him to answer my question but after a couple of minutes I knew his answer. He didn't love me. And for some reason I wasn't angry or upset at him. He never got the chance to fall in love with me like I had the chance to fall in love with him.

"It's okay if you're not," I finally said stretching my hand across the table and placing it over his. "How can that be true," he responded, "After everything I put you through, how can that be alright? How can I not love the girl who gave up everything to be with me? Who left her family behind for me? Who stayed with me after I ripped off her face? How is that okay Emily!"

He pulled his hand away from mine and placed his head in his hands. "Sam you never got the chance to fall in love with me. I didn't love you that day you begged me to give you and me a chance. I didn't even know you, but I decided to give myself the chance to fall for you. Sooner or later I did."

"You have to know that I want to," he said lifting his head up, "I really do want to love you with everything I have."

"I know you do," I said. It was the truth. I could see it in his eyes that he really did want to fall in love with me. To somehow make this whole screwed up situation work, but I didn't want him to be with me out of guilt. "But Sam, if you don't then it's okay. I just want you be happy."

He laughed and said, "Did you imprint on me or something?" I smiled, "No. I'm just in love with you. I really do want you to be happy. If that's not with me, I'm okay with it."

"You'd do that? You would really just walk away after all of this?"

"For you I would." "I'm going to try Emily. I want you to know that." "I know."

He stood up and placed a small sweet kiss on my lips. I gave him my empty cup to put in the sink, and he did the same with his. I got up from the table and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I'm really glad I mustered up enough courage to get this awkward conservation out of the way even if it was a difficult one to have. I just think that Sam deserves to be happy. Everyone does. I can't force him to be with me. Of course I would be devastated and would need about a gallon of ice cream and a night full of "The Notebook" if he decided to leave, but if it came down to it I could let him go. It would be the hardest thing I would ever do, but I could do it because I love him.

After my shower I went into the living room to find Sam sitting on the couch watching t.v. I sat down next to him and laid my head on his shoulder. It was strange to find that his shoulder was sort of cold, and I was disappointed to not find the usual warm heat radiating off of him.

I can't even imagine what the others are going through or if they're even going through it. "Do you think this is going on between the others?" I asked.

"Well they no longer are forced to share their thoughts anymore so I don't know. It's something highly personal and it's really the first thought and worry in years that they can keep to themselves. I don't see why it wouldn't happen to them, but if it has they'll tell us when they're ready."

I agreed. This was something that I wasn't comfortable about bringing up in front of everyone. It was sad and almost disheartening to know that Kim and Rachel would be going or are going through the same thing. I just don't think it would affect Claire in the same way since she's only four, but I still hate that in some way she'll lose Quil. As Sam and I sit here on the couch watching some dumb game show on daytime television, I wonder what our lives will become in the future. Will we be able to get past this or will life as we know it begin to crumble? And I'm really starting to wonder if Sam and I are really each others true loves. I pray that we are.

**Tell me what you guys think about Emily's perceptive about the situation. Do you think Sam and Emily were always meant to be or was the imprinting the only reason they ended up together?**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**


	4. Evil Ways

**This chapter is definitely for the Leah fans. The beginning has a flashback so be sure to watch out for it! Keep the awesome reviews coming! Plus many of you have given me some suggestions for future chapters and situations so if you have any be sure to send them my way!**

**Disclaimer: I am not writing this as my own. All characters and ideas belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Evil Ways**

**Leah POV**

_*Flashback*_

_Sitting here at the table and trying to eat breakfast and listening to mom yell for Seth to get up is just the thing I want to hear when I just woke up and realized I have to meet Jacob in wolf form soon. Don't get me wrong, being in Jacob's pack is so much better than being in a pack with Sam, but since it's only three of us there are definitely longer hours. Those hours are included in the daytime. "Seth Clearwater! Wake up!"_

_Of course I can't just get up and break Seth's door down right in front of mom. I think that would make her a little suspicious. I mean he's a teenage boy. How long could it possibly take to get up and get ready? "That boy better get up soon," she says after she places two pieces of toast on my plate, "I have to take Billy to the doctor in fifteen minutes." "Let me try mom," I say after taking a bite of my toast. _

_He probably won't listen to me since mom is still here but I think I can put enough anger behind my words to get him out of that room. I walk down the hallway and stand in front of Seth's door. "Seth! Come on my mom as to leave! She can't wait on a fourteen year old girl!" I slam my fist into the door hard enough so he can get the point but not so hard that it would break the door. _

_After a couple of seconds, I realize this isn't going to work. I turn my head back towards the kitchen and say, "Mom don't worry. Go ahead and go. I'll make sure Seth gets to school." All of a sudden I hear rustling on the other side of the door. Clearly he knows what's about to happen. "Alright sweetheart. I guess I can't wait for him. Be sure he gets up Leah." I hear her put pots and plates into the sink and grab the keys off the counter. "Don't worry mom," I say with a smirk on my face as I face the door, "I'll get him up." "Thanks Leah. See you later." _

_With that she closed the front door and I prepared my stance. I gave Seth a few more seconds before I yelled, "Seth wake up!" and pushed my foot as hard as I could against the door causing it to quickly fly open. "Gosh Leah you didn't have to break…," he said before I interrupted him by sitting right on top of him. "Get up!" I yell. "Okay just get off of me you cow!" he says before pushing me onto the floor. I quickly get up and brush my hair out of my face and see Seth searching through his closet for a shirt. "Seth it doesn't matter what shirt you wear," I say ripping a shirt off the hanger and shoving it into his hands, "Put this on, go in the bathroom, brush your teeth, and get in the truck." "Why are you so mean to me?" he says before he walks out of his room. "I'm not mean," I say with a big fake smile knowing fully in my mind that I am. "Yeah whatever," he says before leaving the room. After he went into the bathroom, I went into the living room waiting for him by the door when I heard the sound I've been dreading all morning. The sound of a wolf howling. _

I swear Seth has the hardest time getting up. He kind of had an excuse when we were still wolves because on most nights he would be out until the early hours of the morning, but now not so much. "Seth come on!" I say standing next to his door, "I have to take you to school today!" Not a sound comes from the room and I decide to use a threat, "Seth don't make me break down the door! We all know how hard it was not having a door for a week!" I told mom Seth was wrestling with one of the boys in the hallway and they accidentally ran into the door. She bought the story when I told her it was Paul he was wrestling with.

Just then the door knob turned and Seth stepped out into the hallway. "You know you can't use that line anymore Leah. You couldn't break down a door if you tried now." Damn I forgot about that which is amazing since it's been the only thing I've been thinking about for weeks. I'm not a wolf anymore. Sometimes I think the whole experience of losing my wolf abilities was a dream. It's nice waking up and realizing it's reality and not a dream. "Well you no longer have an excuse to take forever to get ready," I say pushing him towards the front door, "Come on lets go." Seth grabbed his back pack and I closed the front door behind us.

"This is weird isn't it?" Seth says from the passenger seat of the truck, "You know. Not being a wolf. Not having to think about stuff other people have nightmares about?" I look over at Seth and see him staring directly at me with serious eyes. At that moment I felt sorry for Seth. All of this started when Seth was so young. It was just a kid. Shit he's still a kid. It's sad to think that his childhood was basically stolen from him. Yeah I lost a lot too but at least I had some fun as a teenager. He had a world of responsibility on his shoulders. He was a wolf for goodness sake! But the really sad thing is that that world is all he's ever known. Taking orders, patrolling, and killing vampires is the world is used to living in. Now that that world is gone it seems as though Seth doesn't know what to do with his life. I don't know the exact details of how he is feeling because we have yet to talk about everything that has happened.

"Yeah it is weird," is all can say. We're almost to school and I don't want to get into a deep conversation with him. "I think everything's going to be alright," he says turning his attention through the windshield. Seth was always the positive optimistic one.

After I dropped Seth off at school, I went home and did the ordinary chores. I finished the laundry, washed the dirty dishes, and dusted the house. As I finish dusting the last picture frame, I start thinking about all the changes that have and will occur. I think I've already changed as a person. I almost wanted to cry the day when Emily noticed I got my period. Of course I didn't act like it was a big deal in front of her and the boys. But when I got home, I fell into my bed and cried tears of happiness for the first time in years. The bitterness and the resentment just didn't seem to matter anymore. I had my life back. It was something I definitely took for granted before I turned into a wolf.

For some reason every time I see one of the boys or even Seth, I see this huge question mark above their heads. I'm pretty sure that question mark represents the question of Sam and I. I know the imprints broke. You can almost see the light drained out of Sam, Paul, Jared, and Quil. I think everyone believes that Sam and I will just leap back into each others arms and everything will be as it was before. But believe me or not, I refuse for things to go that way.

That thought is foreign to my brain though. In the past I would have given everything for Sam to look at me the way he used to, but now not so much. This whole situation happening represents the start of a new life for me. I have the power to do whatever I want to do now. I'm not limited by a blood responsibility to my people. And most primarily the limitation of morphing into a giant dog. Sam represents a past that I just don't have any interest of being a part of. When I look at him, I still see the man that broke my heart and shattered my soul into a million pieces. The man that preferred my cousin over me. I just can't go there again. I won't allow myself to.

Sitting here in this quiet lonesome house is starting to get to me. Lately I've done nothing but sit in this house all day after I bring Seth to school. Then I wait for mom to get home because Seth usually gets a ride home from school from one of his friends. Today just feels like a good day. A good day to visit an old friend. A friend that allowed himself to look past my hard exterior and see me. My old alpha. Jacob Black.

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I really wanted to focus on Seth and Leah's relationship. It seemed throughout the entire saga that Leah always had Seth's back. So I hope you felt their sibling chemistry. I know I kind of left it at a cliff hanger but I wanted this chapter to be about Seth and Leah not Jacob and Leah. Sorry about that Blackwater fans! **

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	5. Cherry on Top

**Enjoy and Review!**

**Disclaimer: I am not writing this as my own. All characters and ideas belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Cherry on Top**

**Jacob POV**

Leah shifts the truck in reverse and slowly pulls out of the driveway. She honks the horn and waves as she drives off down the road. After I wave back I make my way back into my garage to finish up on Ms. Call's car she dropped off this morning for a quick oil check. After I pour the clean oil into the car, I pull down the hood and gather up the tools and place them into the toolbox. I grab a rag and wipe off my hands and sit down onto the stool and take a few swigs from a water bottle.

Leah and I have always had a small connection between us, even though it took forever for either of us to admit it. We were both burned in basically the same way in pretty much the same situation. I was really the only person that would actually listen and not just listen for the simple threat that if you didn't she would kick your ass. So when I heard a truck pull into our driveway this afternoon, I wasn't surprised it was Leah. She's changed a lot since the whole non-wolf thing. She acts like she used to before the breakup and heartache with Sam. I actually feel comfortable around Leah now and am able to talk to her about things. She has kind of taken Bella's place. Even before Sam and I agreed that now wouldn't be the best time to hang out with Bella, we were still distant. She's not the same Bella I once loved and cared for. She's not my Bella, she's Edward's.

I messed around with a few more things around the garage until it was late afternoon. I finally gave up and walked into the house to make some dinner. I started rummaging through the pantry when the phone rang. I closed the pantry door and picked up the phone, "Hello?" "Hey Jake, it's Bella." I really wasn't surprised it was her. I mean we haven't talked since that day I fell down her stairs and she gave me a ride home. She probably was suspecting something then, she probably really is now since I haven't called her for weeks.

I didn't want to give her any more suspicions so I simply said, "What's up?" "I just wanted to see if you wanted to meet and catch up. I haven't seen you in a while. I'm starting to think you've been ignoring me."

"Why would I ignore you Bella?" I know my anger problems have toned down but her saying that angered me. Why would I just ignore her for the hell of it? The only reason I haven' t been to visit her is because I don't want freakazoid Edward to read my mind. Why does she always assume my life revolves around her?

"If you're not ignoring me then why haven't you been to visit?" "Because I've been busy Bella. It is my senior year in high school, and I've been working on a lot of cars lately."

"You're not mad at me?" "No Bella I'm not mad." "Then come and meet me in the clearing. I know you probably have to patrol tonight, but just come for a little bit."

Well her assuming I had to patrol would work in my favor. It would give me an excuse to leave early before Edward decided to pop out of thin air since he can't be away from Bella for more than five minutes. It would be a harmless friendly meeting. Even though she really isn't a big part of my life, I still missed her a little bit. What the hell? What else do I have to do? But we couldn't meet in the clearing. The only safe and fast way to get to it is if I phased and that isn't an option anymore.

"Alright Bella I can meet for a little bit, but I really need to drive the rabbit. I haven't drove it in a while and it needs to run for a little bit. So why don't we meet at the line?"

"Okay that's fine. I'll see you in a few!"

As soon as I make it to my car she'll probably be at the line already due to her vampire speed. I cranked up the rabbit and drove to the line in a matter of minutes. Bella was already standing off in the woods by a log when I got there. You could clearly see her from the road as her luminescent white skin shone in the setting sun.

"Hey Bells!" I said greeting her with a wave. I didn't want to get to close to her since I didn't want her to notice my usual wolf smell had vanished. She looked disappointed that I didn't give her hug but the look disappeared as she waved back and sat down on the log.

"So what's been going on?" she asked. I played it cool and said, "Nothing much. Just the usual." I soon found out that Bella and I really don't have much to talk about. Especially when one of us is trying to hide something from the other.

"How's your dad?" she asked after a few moments of silence. "He's good. You know Billy. He's a pretty tough old man."

She laughed a small laugh and picked up a few pebbles and squeezed them between her fingers. To my eyes it appeared she was barely pressing the pebbles but if you looked closely you would see the dusty remnants of the pebbles fall from her fingers.

"So how's your…" was all I could get out before a silver Volvo pulled up beside my car. Damn it's been five minutes already. Edward got out of the car and walked towards us. At that moment, I put all of my energy to block out any thoughts about the pack. I used to be able to do it. How hard could it be?

"Edward what are you doing here?" Bella asked with a smile on her lips. It was like they were still stuck in the honeymoon stage of their marriage. But if you knew anything about Bella and Edward's relationship, that's how they always were. They were so happy and in love in made you want to puke.

"Nice Jacob," Edward said. "You know it's true," I replied. "What's true?" Bella asked. "Never mind," Edward said back.

"I forgot to ask you to tell Jacob about the visitors they are expected before you left to come here," Edward said wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Oh well, why don't you tell him now," she said sitting back on the log. Visitors. I assumed he was talking about vampires.

"I am," he said confirming my thoughts. "Could you not read my mind please. I do have a mouth." "Sorry but yes vampires. A coven of seven expected at the end of February. It's nothing serious. They have just heard about Bella and the whole situation with the Volturi. They just want to see what the deal is."

"So are we going to start charging these nosy vamps that are coming to visit every now and then? I mean it's not that exciting. We're not a freak show."

"Well what else do they have to do?" Bella said. "Very true love," Edward said.

"Oh Alice also said that they were interested in meeting the packs," Bella added, " Especially you and Sam since you two are the alphas."

Well those undead corpses are shit out of luck. They should have came about a month ago while we still were….Fuck. I can't believe I just thought that. Damn't! All I had to do was not think about one simple thing and I fucked it up!

I glanced at Edward who eyes were looking straight at me. He knew. He read my mind and heard the thought they gave away the secret. The bastard couldn't stay out of my head for five minutes!

"Bella, Jacob and I have to talk about a few things concerning the visiting coven," Edward said not taking his eyes off me for a single second. "Yeah Bella, we can catch up another time," I said smiling towards her, "Business talk will just bore you." "You promise you'll call me," she asked standing up. "I promise."

With that she smiled and kissed Edward and in a flash was gone.

"Why didn't you tell us!" Edward yelled with fury in his eyes.

"Because it's none of your damn business!"

"Are you kidding me Jacob? Of course this is our business. If we had known there were no wolves to help protect the people and to keep these vampires at bay, we would have sent someone to intervene them. To convince them not to come."

"What do you want me to do? There's still time to convince the bloodsuckers to not come."

"Sadly they've already made up their mind. They're extremely interested in Bella, and they're more interested in the packs."

"Well won't it be a fun surprise when they show up and there are no wolves! Just tell them we took a vacation."

"Jacob this is serious."

I know this is serious. Seven malicious vampires are coming to town to see a bunch of wolves and there won't be any. I've come to find that vampires do not like being lied to, especially by their own kind. But there's absolutely nothing that can be done. We're not wolves anymore. No one knows why or understands it.

"How long have you guys been this why," Edward asked.

"About a month. It started with Sam and then went through the rest of both packs. There's not one wolf left out of all of us. The heat, the anger, the abilities are gone."

"I thought you looked smaller. This is very strange even for me."

"Tell me about it."

"So…were the imprints affected in anyway?"

"None of them will talk about it but I'm positive the bonds broke."

"Interesting," he said making his way to his car, "Look Jacob this is a lot to deal with. I really wish you would have told us sooner. I'm going to talk to Carlisle about what to do. You need to do the same with Sam."

"Are you going to tell Bella?"

"She'll find out sooner or later Jacob, and sooner is always better then later," he said closing the door and driving off.

Man today started off as a good day. I ate frosted flakes for breakfast, and I got to hit Paul upside the head when he made a crude comment about Leah. The school lunch was off the chain with a chicken and mashed potatoes spread. But my great day had to end with Edward yelling in my face and telling me what to do. And the cherry on top is knowing that I can't even tear his big head off because now he has the upper hand. Damn karma.


	6. Bottoms Up

**Enjoy and Review!**

**I re-updated chapter 5 "cherry on top". I decided to change the time of the story a bit to better match the ending I want. It's a small change. I originally wrote the vampires coming in at Christmas but now I changed it to the end of February. It doesn't seem like a big deal to change it but to end the story how I want it the time needed to be changed **

**Disclaimer: I am not writing this as my own. All characters and ideas belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Bottoms Up**

**Sam POV**

I wish someone would just knock me out already. I can't even remember the last time I had a hangover. Alcohol just didn't seem to have an effect on my body when I could still phase. I hardly would even drink it anymore, but last night I felt it was a special occasion. Boy it only took about seven bottles of beer and a couple shots of vodka for me to pass out face first into the sofa cushions.

My life continues to morph into a twisted spiral of confusion as I sit here staring at the empty beer bottles on the floor. Thankfully, Emily left bright and early to spend the day with Kim. Last night before she went to bed I overheard her talking with Kim on the phone. Apparently, Jared's feelings for Kim deviated back to annoyance rather than love for her after the imprint bond broke.

Over the past month, Emily has remained strong and hopeful about our screwed up situation. I swear she looks at me like she's waiting for the moment for the switch to flip back on in my head. For the feelings of love and attachment I held for her to somehow come rushing back into my brain and my heart. Each time I catch her giving me that look, I feel a dagger of guilt stab into my chest and twist around until I can't stand it any longer. I usually just block her out of my field of vision and find myself something to do. Or just walk out of the room and leave her by herself and listen to her quietly cry until she falls asleep like I did last night.

I really have no clue what the hell I'm going to do. I'm the leader of a tribe who has been dealt a major blow. Even the elders seem beyond confused. Not even old Quil Sr. knows how to deal with this unprecedented ordeal. Now I have a pack full of young boys scrambling around like mice trying to figure out what to do with their lives. The boys look up to me as their leader and expect me to know the answers to their questions. Truthfully, I feel as lost in the dark as they do.

Sitting here hungover and self-loathing on the sofa at eleven in the morning isn't helping anyone. I reach down and gather the empty bottles before getting up and heading to the kitchen to dispose of the mess. I decide that maybe a little grub will help the pain in my head so I search the kitchen for some bread and pb&j. I quickly finish the sandwich and start to throw away the paper plate when I see the trash overflowing. I pull the bag out of the can and walk out the front door with the trash bag when I hear the rumbling of an engine. I unmistakably recognize the engine and throw the bag in the can and see Jacob turning into the driveway on his motorcycle.

"What's up Sam?" he says pushing the kickstand on his bike forward. "So much that if I told you, hitting a rock on the way down off the cliffs on the beach wouldn't seem like such a bad idea."

"I take it things with Emily haven't got any better." "Try worse," I say walking up the steps into the house, "Come inside. It's too damn cold out here." "Yeah I forget we're not space heaters anymore."

Jacob followed me into the house as he was taking off his black leather jacket and sat down at the kitchen table. I remember the last time we both sat down at this table just me and him. It occurred during the days following the first time he phased. He appeared nervous and scared. Gosh he was just a kid. A kid absolutely terrified of the truth of his heritage and his destiny. The conversation consisted of explaining what had happened to him and what was expected of him. I secretly wished he had answered yes to the fateful question I posed him that day, but understandably he said no. He refused to take the position of alpha and stated that he didn't even want to be in a pack nonetheless its leader. Now as we sit across from each other at the same table years later, he looks and acts completely different. Even if he hides the frenzy of his emotions surrounding the current issues of our tribe, his demeanor presents a complete contradiction. I now realize Jacob did live up to the expectations I asked of him that day. He's more of an alpha than I ever was. A better man than me, too.

"Sam?" Jacob says snapping his fingers in front of my face, "You sure you're okay?" "Yeah, I'm okay," throwing myself back into reality, "I've just been getting stuck in my head a lot lately."

"Well I've got more unsettling thoughts to add into that noggin." Great. Maybe a giant meteor is heading straight for La Push, Washington. No, I wouldn't be that lucky.

"Go ahead," I say leaning back into the wooden chair. He sighs and rests his hands on the table, "For one, the Cullens know what has happened to us." "Are you kidding?" I say rubbing my still aching head, "How did they find out?"

Jacob sat in his chair looking at me like I just found a pile of skin mags underneath his mattress and was waiting for him to fess up. "I told you I didn't want them to know Jacob!"

"Hey I didn't actually tell them," he said defensively, "Bella…."

"Of course it involves Bella. You can't seem to keep a secret from her to save your life!"

"How was I supposed to know that all the stories about our ancestors morphing into giant wolves were true? I didn't mean to break the treaty, and I didn't mean to tell Bella about this. Edward showed up out of the blue and I wasn't prepared to guard my brain from being mind fucked."

"Did you just say mind fucked?" "It just came to me man. Besides that's what he does all the damn time."

I got up from the table and opened the door to the cabinet that held our medicine. I took some aspirins out of the bottle and swallowed them down with a glass of water. I needed help from some medication before I could stand the length of this conversation.

"So..," I say leaning against the fridge, "They now can basically take a little vacation over to La Push and munch down on some of our people since they know we have no defense against them. I'm surprised Edward didn't attack you right then and there. We all know how he feels about you."

Jacob let out a small laugh, "If he wanted to kill me he would have done that a hell of a long time ago. Cause me racking on his nerves has gone on for years now. Besides the Cullens knowing is the least of our worries at this point."

"Meaning…?"

"A coven of seven vamps contacted the Cullens. They plan on visiting to see Bella and also to visit the supposed pack of wolves that live here. They arrive at the end of February."

He looked at me waiting for me to react but honestly I had nothing to say. What could I say?

"Sam? You going to say anything?"

"I'm sorry Jacob. I'm just a little numb towards the earth shattering revelations at this point. That last one really got me."

"Well Edward said he would talk to Carlisle about it."

I turned around and opened the fridge. I should have never stopped drinking last night.

"We'll figure something out Sam," he said noticing my silent manner facing the fridge.

I grabbed what I needed out of the fridge and turned to face him, "You want a beer?"

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